Coop.



G. E. & B. F. GRANT.

COOP.

APPLIGATION FILED 0019. 1912.

Patented May 19, 1914.

2 SHEETB-SHBET 1.

NNI

C. E. & B. P. GRANT. CooP.

APPLICATION FILED 0UT.9'. 1912.

1,096,904. Patented May 19, 1914J 2 SHEBTB-SHEET 2.

J6 L? (i5/ 106 Immun,

wl' by M y & Attorney.

UNTED i STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. GRANT AND BERT F. GRANT, 0F MARION, INDIANA.

COOP.

T0 all whom 'it may concern Be it known that we, CHARLEs E. GRANT andBERT F. GRANT, citizens of the United States, residing at Marion, in thecounty of Grant, State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Coop,ot' which the following is a specification.

The present invention aims to provide a poultry coop including aplurality of internal partitions and wings adapted to be removed, whollyor in part, for the purpose of altering the number of compartments intowhich the coop is subdivided.

The invention aims to provide novel means for holding the partitions andthe wings in place, and to provide novel means whereby the wings and thepartitions may be re moved, without tearing apart or injuring the coop.

Another object of the invention is to improve generally, and to increasethe utility of, devices of that type to which the present inventionappertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment ol. invention herein disclosed can be made within the scopeof what is claimed without departing' from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawing, Figure 1 is a top plan, parts being broken away; Fig. 2is a longitudinal section on the line 2-a-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is atransverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. l is a fragmentalside elevation of one of the wings; Fig. 5 is a fragmental elevation ofthe removable closure; and Fig. 6 is a fragmental top plan of theremovable closure.

The coop herein disclosed comprises a bottom 1, fashioned in any desiredmanner. Secured to the bottom 1 are end plates 2 and abuttingintermediate plates 3, the plates 3 in the present instance being`located approXimately midway between the plates 2, as will be mostclearly seen in Fig. 2. EX- tended longitudinally of the coop is aprimary side plate 4 and a secondary side plate 5. The side plate il, asshown in Fig. 3, extends into abutment with the bottom 1, the side plate5 being spaced apart from the Speecation of Letters Patent.

Application tiled October 9, 1912.

Patentedltiay 19, 1914.

serial No. 724,837.

bottom, to define an opening between the side plate 5 and the bottom.The bottom 1, the end plates 2, the intermediate plates 3 and the sideplates 1 and 5 constitute what ior convenience may be designated thelower frame oi the coop.

Referring to Fig. 3 it will be seen that the upper edges of theintermediate plates 3 are notched as indicated at 6, the upper edges ofthe end plates 2 being notched in a similar manner. In these notches 6are mounted bars 7, supporting a false bottom 8 which may be fashionedfrom wire netting. Pans 9 rest upon the bottom 1, below the false bottom8, the pans 9 being adapted to receive the droppings. The pans areinserted between the secondary side plate 5 of the 'lower irame and thebottom 1, the pans abutting against the primary side plate 4.

Connected with the lower frame above described are corner posts 10 andintermediate posts 11, the intermediate posts 11 supporting anintermediate bar 12, the bar 12, the posts 11 and the intermediateplates 3 defining an intermediate frame which extends transversely ofthe coop. The corner posts 10 support end bars 111 and side bars 15, thebars 1-1 and 15 constituting the upper trame of the coop. Theeornerposts 10, the end plates 2 and the end bars 14: constitute the endframes of the coop, and these frames are filled in with nettingindicated at 16. The intermediate frame, above described, is also filledin with netting as indicated at 17. The end posts 18 connect the members2 and 14 and posts 19 connect the members 12 and 3 of the intermediateframe.`

The adjacent, inner faces of the posts 18 and 19 are equipped withupright, spaced cleats 20, receivingl slidably the ends of partitionframes 21 which are filled in with netting as indicated at 22.

At this point it will be noted that the intermediate frame comprisingthe members 3, 11, 12 and 19 serves to divide the coop into twocompartments. Each of these compartments is subdivided by the partitioniframes 21 into two other compartments, so that the coop, so lar asdescribed, comprises tour compartments.

Intermediate its ends, the partition frames 21 are equipped withupright, spaced cleats 23, receiving slidabl y the inner ends of wings24, the wings 24 being filled in with netting as indicated at 25. Thewings 24 are provided with projecting ends 26 which fit between spacedblocks 27, one pair of the blocks 27 being secured to the side bar 15and the other set of blocks 27 being secured to the primary side plate4. Upon the other side of the coop, referring to F ig. 3, the blocks 27are carried by the corresponding side bar 15 and by the secondary sideplate 5.

It will be observed that when the wings 24 are mounted in place, theinterior of the coop is subdivided so that the same comprises eightcompartments.

Four removable side walls are provided in the present embodiment of theinvention. Each of the side walls comprises an upper bar 28, a lower bar29, and transverse, connecting slats 30. Secured to the lower bar 29 ofeach side wall is a locking block 31. In mounting the removable sidewalls in place, the upper ends of the slats 30 are in-l serted inside ofthe side bar 15, and the lower ends of the side walls are pushedinwardly until the ends of the bars 28 and 29 abut against the uprightstraps 43, connecting the members 15 and 5, and 16 and 4, adjacent theend frames of the coop and adjacent the intermediate frame of the coop.The side walls are then shoved downwardly until the lower ends of theslats 30 lock behind the members 4 and 5. It may be recalled that theends 26 of t-he wings 24 are located between the blocks 27 andtherefore, when the removable side walls are mounted in place as abovedescribed, the locking blocks 31 which are carried by the members 29 ofthe side walls, will engage across t-he upper edges of the lowerprojections 26 of the wings, thus holding the wings in place againstupward movement.

The end bars 14 of t-he upper frame are connected by fixed slats 32. Asindicated at 32a, the inner slats 32 of the series are spaced apart,along the longitudinal center of the coop and directly above thepartition frames 21. In the upper edges of the intermediate bar 12 andof the end bars 14 there are notches 33 alined vertically with the space32a which exists between certain of the fixed slats 32. Extendedlongitudinally of the end bars 14 and of the intermediate bar 12 arekeepers 34, bridging the notches 33, the ends of the keepers beingsecured to the members 14 and 12.

The invention further includes a removable closure plate 35 which isadapted to fit in the notches 33, below the keepers 34. The closureplate 35, along one side and at its ends is notched to define shoulders36. When the closure plate 35 is thrust transversely in the notches 33,the shoulders 36 will engage with the inner faces of the end bars 14 andprevent the closure 35 from sliding endwise, the closure 35 beingremovable, however, by

sliding the same transversely, so the shoulders 36 no longer engage withthe end bars 14.

Resilientv means is provided for maintaining the shoulders 36 engagedwith the end bars 14. This resilient means, in the form shown, consistsof an arched spring 37 secured at one end, as indicated at 38, to oneedge of the closure 35, the spring 37 having in its other end', alongitudinal slot 39 slidably received by a headed securing element 40which is inserted into the edge of the closure 35. As will be understoodreadily when Fig. 1 is noted, the crown of the spring 37 abuts againstone of the shoulders of the notch 33, and pushes the closure 35transversely so that the shoulders 36 engage with the end bars 14, ashereinbefore described.

The invention may include a plurality of feed troughs 41, provided withhooks 42, the hooks 42 engaging with the lower bars 29 of the removableside walls, or with any other suitable and accessible portion of thecoop.

It is to be observed that the coop, constructed as above described,comprises eight compartments. It is possible, however, by removing thepartition frames 21 and the wings 24 to reduce the number ofcompartments in the coop, until the same comprises two compartmentsonly. At this-point it may be stated that the coop may be fashioned inany desired length, the partitions 21 being increased in length, and thenumber of the wings 24 being increased.

In order to vreduce the number of compartments within the coop, theremovable closure plate 35 is first thrust transversely, to disengagethe shoulders l36 from the end bars 14, the closure plate then beingwithdrawn longitudinally from beneath the keepers 34. This operationwill remove the closure plate 35 from above the partition frames 21. Thepartition fra-me 21 may then be drawn upwardly through the opening 32a.Thereupon the end 26 of the wings 24 may be disengaged from between theblocks 27, the removable side walls having first been displaced, so thatthe locking blocks 31 no longer extend across the lower projections 26of the wings.

The foregoing operation presupposes that it has been desired to remove apartition frame 21 and both of the wings 24 which are assembledtherewith. It is within the scope of the invention to remove but one ofthe wings 24, and in carrying out this operation, one side wall is iirstremoved, to disengage the locking block 31 from the projection 26 of thewing 24 which is to be removed. Thereupon the wing 24 may be lifted sothat its projections 26 lie above the blocks 27. The wing may then beswung toone side, the inner end. of the wing being disengaged frombetween the cleats 23 of the partition frame 21. When the wing 24'liesin approximate parallelism with the frame 2l, the wing may be liftedupwardly through the opening 32a.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is 1. A coopcomprising a frame; to sections spaced apart and secured to the ame; aclosure movably held upon the frame between the sections; a partitionlocated below the closure and adapted to be removed only when theclosure is removed; means upon the frame for receiving the ends of thepartition slidably; a wing interengaged at one end with the partitionfor sliding movement; a side wall engaged at its ends with the frame andadapted to be lifted and lowered to disengage its ends from the frame;and interengaging elements upon the side wall and upon the other end ofithe wing for holding the Wing depressed.

2. A coop having an openin and comprising a removable closure `for t eopening; a longitudinal partition located below the closure; atransverse wing; a removable side Wall; means upon the coop for slidablyreceiving the ends of the partition; means upon the side wall and uponthe partition for slidably receiving the ends of the wing; the upperedge of the wing being spaced from the closure to permit the wing to belifted, thereby to free the wing from the side Wall and to permit thewing to be swung into approximate parallelism with the partition and tobe removed through the opening after the closure has been removed.

3. A coop comprising end members and an intermediate frame havingopenings; a rigid closure mounted to move transversely andlongitudinally in the openings; a spring bearing against theintermediate frame and against the closure; the closure having shoulderscoaeting with the end members under the action of the spring to preventlongitudinal movement of the closure.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our own, we have heretoaiixed our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES E. GRANT. BERT F. GRANT. Witnesses:

J. H. DE Por, D. M. MURPHY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

